Jamie Redknapp suggests Klopp should have started ‘brilliant’ Liverpool player vs Arsenal

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Jurgen Klopp should have rewarded Harvey Elliott for a superb performance for Liverpool in midweek.

Elliott was terrific for the Reds as they smashed West Ham United 5-1 at Anfield on Wednesday. However, the 20-year-old’s good display wasn’t enough to earn him a start against Arsenal this evening.

And speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports ahead of the game, former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp suggested that Elliott had been mightily unlucky to miss out.

“Harvey Elliott was another who was brilliant [against West Ham],” Redknapp claimed.

“He’s one who could be thinking ‘I thought might have got my chance’ [in the starting XI].

Redknapp says Elliott unlucky to miss out

In terms of tonight’s starting line-up, Elliott was never really going to get into it. He was indeed very good against the Hammers, but for whatever reason, Klopp doesn’t quite trust him in the Premier League.

It isn’t like the youngster hasn’t been knocking at the door for a while, too. In fairness to him, Elliott has been very, very good all year.

But his impact has largely come off the bench. 18 games in, the former Fulham prospect has only started one league match all season.

So, although he hasn’t featured so far tonight, Elliott will surely still get on the pitch at some stage. He’s Klopp’s new ‘super-sub.’

Although it’s a role that Liverpool’s No.19 has attempted to distance himself from in recent times, Jurgen’s decision to bench him again here shows that he still has work to do in that regard.

You could understand if Elliott were frustrated by that. Micah Richards recently claimed that the England U21 international would start for pretty much every other Premier League side.

But there’s still plenty to be said for the job he’s been doing at Liverpool.

He may not be guaranteed to start, even when he arguably deserves to. But if he keeps on putting in displays like on Wednesday, he will get his chances.

With the Reds not starting well against Arsenal, he’ll be needed later on.